Ventress Memorial Library

What Ventress Memorial Library does

Ventress Memorial Library is a non-profit public library established in 1895 in Marshfield, Massachusetts, operated through municipal funding and supplemental support from the Friends of the Ventress Memorial Library 501(c)(3). The library serves Marshfield residents across age cohorts — adults, children, teens, educators, adult literacy/ESL learners, and homebound residents — from a 19,000-square-foot facility at 15 Library Plaza that opened in December 1983 in a renovated former grocery building. Service delivery is organized around a small permanent staff of eight led by Library Director Cyndee Marcoux, supported by active volunteer networks including teen and adult literacy tutors. The institution is governed by a Board of Library Trustees chaired by Gregory Caille.

The library's product surface spans physical lending (books, AV, museum passes, Library of Things including Roku Streaming Sticks), digital lending via Hoopla and OverDrive/Libby through the Old Colony Library Network (OCLN), and a research database portfolio including Ancestry Library Edition, Gale resources, Britannica, NewsBank, Kanopy, and Consumer Reports. Differentiated service lines include The Wave Makerspace (3D printing, Cricut, Adobe Creative Cloud, robotics) established in 2019, the Teen Zone (YA fiction, video games, tabletop RPGs) established the same year, adult literacy/ESL tutoring, homebound delivery, mobile printing via the ePrint portal, the Historical Room with the Daniel Webster Collection and digitized Marshfield yearbooks (1953–2015), and specialty add-ons including notary services, a seed library, museum passes, and meeting room rentals. The institution is Massachusetts MBLC-certified and participates in OCLN and the Commonwealth Catalog for interlibrary loan.

The business model is overwhelmingly a free, publicly-funded utility: core services are free with a library card, with nominal fee streams limited to printing ($0.20 B/W, $0.50 color per page). Revenue is anchored in the Town of Marshfield operating budget, supplemented by Friends of the Library donations (~$10,000 for materials and ~$2,500 in additional program/play-area support in 2025) and grant funding from Mass Cultural Council, LSTA, and other sources. Marketing is community-led through Facebook, Instagram (including dedicated teen and kids accounts), TikTok (@ventressteenlib), the monthly Ventress Voice newsletter, the Teen Picks Blog, Goodreads, and on-site programming. As of July 2026 the library faces FY27 service reductions (Monday hours cut to 5 pm, reduced materials spending, fewer outside performers) and potential MBLC decertification following a failed town ballot measure, creating material operational risk.

Name

Ventress Memorial Library

Legal name

Ventress Memorial Library

Website

https://ventresslibrary.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ventress Memorial Library is a non-profit public library founded in 1895 serving Marshfield, Massachusetts residents with physical and digital lending, research databases, a makerspace, teen services, adult literacy tutoring, and community programs, primarily funded by the Town of Marshfield and the Friends of the Library.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Library Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Libraries and Archives (519210), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Library Operations & Community Branch Management (EDAEAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Library User Services & Information Support (Reference, Research Help, Instruction Support) (EDAEAGAL), Digital Library & Electronic Resources Operations (e-Resources, Repositories, Licensing) (EDAEAGAF), Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Public Libraries & Information Services (BPAIACAO)

Keywords

• Public library services
• Digital lending
• Community makerspace
• Adult literacy programs
• Genealogy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Marshfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal Tax Funding: Primary funding source from Town of Marshfield operating budget. The library faces budget challenges in FY27 with reduced funding compared to FY26, resulting in reduced hours and services.
2. Friends of the Library Donations: Friends of the Ventress Memorial Library (501(c)3 organization) provides supplemental funding including $10,000 for materials purchases, museum passes, program sponsorships, and scholarships. Fundraising includes book auctions, trivia nights, and merchandise sales.
3. Grants: Receives grant funding from organizations including Mass Cultural Council, LSTA Grant, and Town of Marshfield for specific programs and capital improvements.
4. Printing and Service Fees: Modest revenue from printing services at 20 cents per black and white page and 50 cents per color page. Notary services provided free of charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ventress Memorial Library operates as a public library providing free access to physical and digital collections (books, eBooks, eAudiobooks, magazines, streaming media), research databases, community programs, makerspace technology, and specialized services including genealogy research, adult literacy tutoring, and museum passes. The library serves Marshfield, MA residents through a 19,000 square foot facility featuring dedicated spaces for children, teens (Teen Zone), and makers (The Wave Makerspace), supported by an interlibrary loan network and certified by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

Product overview

Ventress Memorial Library operates as a traditional public library offering a unified platform of services spanning physical collections, digital content lending, and community programs. The core offering consists of physical and digital lending (OverDrive/Libby, Hoopla), research databases, and dedicated spaces/services for specific populations. Key product lines include The Wave Makerspace (3D printing, Cricut, Adobe Creative Cloud), the Teen Zone, children's services, museum passes, meeting rooms, homebound delivery, adult literacy tutoring, and specialty services like notary, seed library, and genealogy research. Digital content integrates with OverDrive/Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, and NYT Games; mobile printing uses ePrint portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Wave Makerspace: A Connected Learning makerspace space established in summer 2019 providing opportunities for youth and adults to explore creative interests and projects with makerspace tools. Features 3D printers, Cricut machines, iMac with Adobe Creative Cloud, robots, and arts and crafts.
• The Wave
• The Teen Zone
• Friends of the Ventress Memorial Library

Products and services

• Physical Library Collections and Borrowing
• Digital Content Lending (eBooks, eAudiobooks, Digital Magazines)
• Research Databases and Online Resources
• The Wave Makerspace
• Teen Zone Services
• Mobile Printing
• Museum Passes
• Meeting Room Rental
• Homebound Delivery
• Adult Literacy Program
• Historical Room and Genealogy Research
• Curbside Pickup and After Hours Locker
• Notary Services
• Book Club Kits
• Library of Things
• Roku Streaming Stick Lending
• Inbetween Collection
• Little Free Seed Library
• Jigsaw Junction
• Tax Forms and Assistance
• Book Groups

Quantifiable outcome

• 838 museum pass uses valued at up to $47,181 in discounts (2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Friends of the Ventress Memorial LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Friends is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides essential supplemental funding and community advocacy. They contribute thousands of dollars yearly for materials purchases ($10,000 in 2025), fund museum passes, sponsor enrichment programs, conduct fundraisers, award scholarships, and support volunteer efforts. Monthly meetings held first Wednesday of each month, September through June.
• North Rivers Arts SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative arts organization partnering with the library on Art Break, a monthly collaborative art program for teens launched in 2026. Each session features projects teaching new skills or exploring different art forms and art-centric careers.
• Town of MarshfieldcoreOthersPrimary municipal funding source. Provides operating budget and co-funded Teen Zone ($50,000+) and The Wave Makerspace facilities with LSTA Grant support.
• Marshfield Council on AgingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides free bus service for FBMS and MHS students on early release Wednesdays starting 9/11/2024. Bus departs middle school at 12:10 pm for library transport.
• Mass Cultural CouncilminorOthersState cultural agency that provided grant funding for programs including Mad Science workshops in 2025.
• LSTA (Library Services and Technology Act)coreOthersFederal library funding program administered through state libraries. Co-funded Teen Zone and The Wave Makerspace establishment in 2019. Ongoing support for makerspace equipment purchases.
• Marshfield Country ClubminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal venue hosting Friends of the Library Trivia Night fundraiser in October 2025. Sponsorship support made event most successful fundraiser ever.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Old Colony Library Network (OCLN): Regional library consortium of 35+ member libraries that VML participates in. OCLN provides the shared catalog, interlibrary loan infrastructure, and digital resource access that VML relies on for many of its key services.
• Duxbury Free Library: Neighboring Massachusetts public library of comparable size and service model serving a similar South Shore demographic. Operates within OCLN and offers the same core mix of physical/digital lending, programs, and community partnerships that VML provides.
• Hanover Public Library: Adjacent South Shore public library with similar scale and operating model. Operates within OCLN and offers a directly comparable mix of physical/digital lending, programming, and community services.
• Pembroke Public Library: Nearby Massachusetts public library serving a comparable small-town demographic with similar operational scale. Offers directly overlapping services including makerspace-style programming, museum passes, and digital lending.
• Scituate Town Library: Adjacent South Shore public library of similar size and patron profile. Comparable in services offered (children's, teen, adult programming, museum passes, digital lending) and shares network membership in regional Massachusetts library consortia.
• Plymouth Public Library: Larger South Shore public library within OCLN serving a similar community shape. Provides directly comparable programming, research databases, and digital lending with a comparable funding model.
• Kingston Public Library: Neighboring Massachusetts public library of similar scale focused on the same general public library service portfolio. Comparable in patron mix, programming, and budget constraints.

Others

• OverDrive: Vendor that powers the Libby/OverDrive digital lending platform VML uses to deliver e-books, e-audiobooks, and digital magazines. While not a direct competitor, OverDrive is a critical infrastructure provider for VML's digital lending capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Boston Public Library: Massachusetts' flagship public library system; much larger scale but shares the same public-library mission, digital lending platforms, and state-certification framework. Relevant as a benchmark for service breadth and as a regional training ground for library staff.
• Cambridge Public Library: Large municipal public library operating in a similar Massachusetts regulatory environment. Comparable in programming depth (innovation labs, makerspace-style offerings, ESL services) though at significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VentressMemorialLibrary
• Instagraminstagram.com/ventresslibrary/?hl=en
• Xx.com/ventresslibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ventress-memorial-library

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ventress Memorial Library